This invention relates in general to a hanger for a pre-tied knotted necktie assembly and, in particular, to a hanger which is rigidly connected to the necktie assembly for purpose of display and yet is readily removable therefrom by the customer without the use of tools.
Pre-tied knotted necktie assemblies typically are connected to a hanger and displayed at the place of sale in a hanging position. An example of such necktie assembly is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,539, issued Jul. 6, 1982, entitled Necktie Knot Support Assembly, and owned by the applicant of the present invention. An improvement upon such necktie assembly is shown in application Ser. No. 09/124,382, filed Jul. 28, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,021,522, issued Feb. 8, 2000 and likewise owned by the applicant herein. The necktie assembly of U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,539 includes a necktie, a knot support on which the necktie is pre-tied to form a necktie knot, and a clip for removably mounting the necktie assembly onto the neckband of a shirt collar. The assembly together with the hanger are sold to a vendor for resale to the customer. The hanger is used by the vendor to display the assembly. The hanger is intended to be separated from the assembly by the customer after the purchase is made.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,351, issued Apr. 9, 1996, entitled hanger for a pre-tied necktie assembly and owned by the applicant herein describes, claims a security type hanger that securely engages the necktie assembly whereby the customer may disengage the necktie assembly from the hanger after the purchase thereof. Another such type of security hanger is U.S. Pat. No. 5,556,014.
Retail stores, however, are in need of a hanger that rigidly retains a pre-tied knotted necktie assembly without actually securing the assembly thereto so that the customer can remove the hanger from the necktie assembly in the retail store for the purposes of trying on the necktie assembly. While a hanger exists that simply provides an enlarged round hole from which a clip-on tie assembly may hang, no hanger exists that rigidly retains a pre-tied knotted necktie assembly. Stores now utilize the type of hanger that is used for displaying an unknotted necktie, that is, a necktie which is not pre-tied. This type of hanger has been utilized for many years. As is well know, such hanger has two slots, formed by three horizontal plastic slats, through which passes portions of the unknotted tie so that the tie hangs in a folded-over position. One of the plastic slats may include a rectangular opening therein through which the clip of a pre-tied knotted necktie assembly may pass. Use of hangers meant for unknotted neckties also for knotted necktie assemblies is convenient and inexpensive. However, there remains the undesirable result that pre-tied necktie assemblies easily fall off these hangers by reason of the hangers breaking or the clips simply disengaging from the hangers' openings. Also, pre-tied necktie assemblies held by such conventional hangers provide an unaesthetic appearance.